The Observer in the Quantum Experiment

TL;DR

This paper argues that the measurement problem involving the observer in quantum mechanics is an unavoidable consequence of experimental results, challenging the notion that interpretations can eliminate the observer's role.

Contribution

It presents a theory-neutral analysis showing that the measurement problem persists regardless of the interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Findings

The two-slit experiment reveals an inherent measurement enigma.

No observable phenomena exist beyond quantum predictions, implying the measurement problem is unavoidable.

Interpretations cannot fully resolve the observer's role in quantum measurement.

Abstract

A goal of most interpretations of quantum mechanics is to avoid the apparent intrusion of the observer into the measurement process. Such intrusion is usually seen to arise because observation somehow selects a single actuality from among the many possibilities represented by the wavefunction. The issue is typically treated in terms of the mathematical formulation of the quantum theory. We attempt to address a different manifestation of the quantum measurement problem in a theory-neutral manner. With a version of the two-slit experiment, we demonstrate that an enigma arises directly from the results of experiments. Assuming that no observable physical phenomena exist beyond those predicted by the theory, we argue that no interpretation of the quantum theory can avoid a measurement problem involving the observer.